Nya's Journey To Where She Is Today
by Astrid16
Summary: I've noticed a shocking lack of Ninjago stories containing our favorite heroin. So guess what? I made one! This was originally going to be a sequel to 'Goodbye, Brother', so expect some tragic events. And lots of brotherly love. Rated T for some mature themes concerning romance, and minor violence/blood/gore. But I kept it very minor. Better than the summary.


_**Okay. This was going to be the sequel to**__ 'Goodbye, Brother', __**but screw sequels. It had nothing to do with the original story anyway. So the **__'Goodbye, Brother' __**is labeled as comlete now, and I will be making tragedy stories independently from now on. **_

_**Review please! I know it's long, but the ending is worth it all in my opinion. I tried to make it interesting, and hope you like she Nya/***__spoiler alert__*** shipping! **_

* * *

**(Nya's POV)**

* * *

"I win!" Kai shouted as he fell to a sitting position at the base of a large tree, panting for breath.  
"Second." Jay plopped down next to the red ninja.  
"No fair!" I laughed. "The picnic basket slowed me down."  
Kai smiled at me. "Yeah. Now give me your dessert. I won the race."  
I rolled my eyes at him. "No sympathy for your little sister?"  
"Nope. Now pass it."  
I reached I reached into the basket and pulled out a bag of cookies and a sandwich. I tossed the sandwich to Jay. "Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention." I said with a smile. "Cole made our lunch."  
Jay spat out the big bite he had just taken. "What?" He took another bite tentatively. "But...It doesn't taste like Cole's cooking."  
I took a bite of my sandwich. "Just kidding. I wanted to see your faces. Zane made them. And the cookies too."  
Jay glared at me in the affectionate way that only he can, warning me not to do that again.  
"Well." Kai said. "I will have to tell Zane thanks when we get back to the Bounty. But in the meantime," he snatched the packet of cookies from my fingers. "Thank you."  
I rolled my eyes and snuggled up between the two boys at the base if the large tree. "Whatever." I finished my sandwich in under a minute. It was too good to eat slowly.  
"Hey, Nya." Jay said softy. "You can have my cookie. I'm not very hungry right now anyways."  
I accepted his small gift. "Thanks, Jay." He was such a bad liar. I broke it in half and gave the larger piece back to him, which he took with a smile and ate gratefully.  
I bit into the gooey dessert. "Mmmm." I smiled. "Chocolate chip."  
"And caramel." Kai said tauntingly, finishing the first cookie, then reaching for mine. "Zane is the best baker ever."  
"Agreed." I leaned on my brother's shoulder and closed my eyes. It was so warm out. I heard a bird singing in the branches above us, trilling sweetly as I found Jay's hand and held it. He squeezed it tightly before letting go.  
That was odd. Why would he let go? I opened my eyes and found him rolling onto one knee in front of me, holding something in his trembling hand.  
"H-hey Nya?" Jay began.  
My heart skipped a beat.  
"Listen. You're my..."  
Is he really?  
"What I'm trying to say is..."  
My hands went to my mouth.  
"Whenever you're around my... Your smile is so..."  
I heard Kai snicker lightly.  
"Aww, screw this!" Jay exclaimed. He took a deep breath. "Will you marry me, Nya?"  
I threw my arms around him, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Yes, Jay. Yes." I planted a kiss on his cheek let go of him, allowing him to put the beautiful ring on my finger.  
I sat back down next to Kai and pulled Jay off of his knee. He fell off balance and landed on the other side of me. I leaned my head on his shoulder as he put his arms around me.  
I felt him kiss the top of my head gently. "I'm pretty sure you already knew, but I love you so much, Nya." He whispered lightly in my ear.  
I opened my mouth to answer when I heard a loud noise. We all turned and looked in its direction.  
"Nindroids!" Kai shouted, jumping lightly to his feet. There were at least twenty of the dark colored androids running toward us with weapons drawn.  
Jay pulled me to my feet quickly and shoved me toward my brother. "Go!" He shouted. "There's too many!"  
Kai shook his head. "Are you crazy, Jay?" He pulled out his elemental blade and began slicing the oncoming assailants. "I am not leaving you here alone."  
Jay nodded his head and turned to me. "Can you call the others, Nya?"  
I looked at my wrist with cry of alarm. "My bracelet!" I whirled around, trying to find the large red communication device. "It's gone, Jay!" Perfect time to lose it.  
A dozen more nindroids came out if the trees and began attacking.  
Jay grabbed me forcefully. "Get out of here!" He shouted.  
"What about you guys?" I cried out.  
"We'll be fine! Just go and get help." Kai used his spinjitsu on a Nindroid that got too close to us.  
I looked at Jay's hardened face. They was using the ever-dependable lie. I knew they would not be fine.  
I gasped as I felt something grab me from behind. I heard a deep, menacing laugh and turned to face general Cryptor.  
Jay turned and saw me being dragged away. "Nya!" He exclaimed. He spun toward us and punched the black general on the jaw, making him fall backwards. Jay hugged me tightly, still spinning as he whispered into my ear. "I love you, Nya." He stopped spinning just long enough to let me get on my feet. He continued the spin, decapitating a droid that got too close to me. "Go!" He said through the blue blur of light.  
I nodded and began running faster than I ever had in my life.

* * *

I reached the Bounty what seemed like hours later and ran through the ship. I opened the TV room door and found Cole and Lloyd.  
"Guys!" I shouted, making them jump.  
"Geez, Nya. Don't do that!" Cole paused the game and looked at my face. He jumped to his feet and ran to me. "What's wrong?" He grabbed my hand and noticed the ring. "Oh!" He exclaimed with a smile. "Congratulations, Nya."  
I jerked my hand away and looked at Lloyd. "Where's Zane?" I asked. "Find him fast. Jay and Kai are in trouble."  
Lloyd nodded. "Sure thing." He left the room quickly.  
I looked at Cole. "Get on deck and wait for me." I said as I ran out. I ran through the halls to my room and found the small case that held my samurai suit. I hugged it close to my chest as I ran back through the hall.  
"Ahh!" I exclaimed as I skidded to a stop a moment too late. I ran into Zane's side and fell to the floor.  
"Greetings, Nya." He grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. He saw the look on my face and paused. "I sense agitation and anxiety. What is the matter? Lloyd said-"  
I gripped his hand tighter without a word and pulled him with me up the stairs to the deck where Cole and Lloyd were waiting.  
I pushed a button on the small case and watched it unfold into the large red samurai suit.  
"Get on quick!" I jumped into the pilot seat while the others got onto the limbs.  
"What's going on, Nya?" Lloyd asked as I flew I to the air.  
I didn't answer. My heart pounded in my chest like a drum. I felt like I wasn't attached to my body, like my mind had gone missing sometime before I reached the ship. My body was working without me as I pressed buttons and pulled levers to direct us to the site where Jay and Kai would be ok. Where we would fight off the Nindroids and go home. Where me and Jay would announce our engagement and forget this while ordeal had happened.  
I heard Zane gasp. Cole cried out in alarm and Lloyd... He was silent, as was I, as we all looked at the scene before us. There were Nindroid bodies scattered everywhere. Some were very decapitated and dead, while others still twitched and let off sparks. But there were still about six left who were fighting with my brother, who stood over a very still blue figure. Kai was whirling every which way, fighting off the droids as they came toward him. He was looking very tired and flushed from exertion.  
I landed quickly, letting the others off as they fought the remaining enemies quickly. The battle ended as suddenly as it had started. It seemed like we all defeated our opponent at the same time. A simple punch and simultaneous kick was all it took for the ninja. I simply stepped on mine, listening to the sound of metal crunching beneath my ginormous suit with satisfaction.  
I pushed a button on the suit and once again felt that sensation, as if I was not attached to my body. My mind was still under the tree with the man who babbled endlessly with nothing coherent to say. My body was with the man who lay motionless on the ground, his kimono looking rather purple from the horrible mix of blue cloth and blood. Everywhere, blood. I put my hands to my mouth as I fell to my knees in front of Jay's body. The others gathered wordlessly.  
Zane was the only one who was able to stay cool and collected. He got on one knee and checked his vitals quickly. "He's still alive." He announced without feeling as he examined the wounds. I felt a glimmer of hope and breathed deeply, realizing that I had been holding my breath as Zane had held his fingers at Jay's neck.  
I watched his chest, waiting for the gentle rise and fall. It was so shallow I could hardly see it. I watched as Zane peeled the soiled kimono off of Jay's body gently and tossed it to the side.  
Even the Nindroid gasped at what we all saw. His stomach had been ripped open, with a hole slightly smaller than my hand to tell us it was a miracle that he was indeed still breathing.  
"He won't last much longer." Zane stated as he ripped off a portion of Jay's suit and gently pressed it into the hole, somewhat staunching the flow of blood. "We need to get him back to the Bounty." He scooped the limp body into his arms and stood up carefully, trying not to move him too much. Zane looked at me coolly and spoke. "Can you fly the suit back, Nya?" He asked.  
I nodded and ran to the samurai mech. "Zane, get into sensei's seat with Jay." My voice cracked as I said my fiancé's name.  
Zane merely nodded and jumped what seemed like an impossible height and landed neatly in the seat without moving the bleeding figure at all.  
"Everyone else, climb on." Cole ordered as he leaped onto the left arm and gripped one of the steel handles I had recently added. The others jumped on and we flew off quickly toward the bounty. The return ride seemed to take longer than it did coming.  
We ran Jay off to the first aid room, which was near the training area. We had found out the hard way that ninjas typically will need one in their home. We added one a while back after the infamous incident when Kai had accidentally hit Cole with a shuriken during practice. That was one of the only times I'd ever seen Cole with tears in his eye. Right now was another one of those moments.  
I think everyone but Zane had tears in their eyes as Jay was laid on the table. But that was to be expected. Zane was a robot, and was not as emotional as his human companions most of the time. The one exception was when his inventor, Julien, died about a year ago. I still don't think he has completely gotten over that. I don't blame him.  
"Lloyd." Zane said, calling the boy forward.  
"Yeah?"  
Zane rechecked Jay's pulse and frowned slightly. "I want everyone but Lloyd out of here. Now." He ordered.  
We complied reluctantly, backing out of the room slowly.  
I reached out my hand to Kai and he took it, squeezing tightly.  
Cole went into the training room. He probably wanted to punch the training dummy until its stuffing came out again. That was always the norm for him when he was upset about something.  
"Why did Zane want Lloyd's help?" I asked.  
Kai shrugged. "I guess he's had some experience. I know I don't."  
I nodded slowly, more tears forming in my eyes as we reached the TV room and sat on the couch. Lloyd and Cole's game was still on, so I grabbed the remote and turned it off. The loud music stopped quickly and the TV screen turned black.  
I snuggled into my brother's warm embrace. Too warm. I turned and looked at him. "Kai." I exclaimed. "Tone it down please. Are you trying to cook me?"  
Kai scratched the back of his head. "Sorry."  
I looked at his hand in 're bleeding, Kai!" I couldn't tell before, since his suit was red, but when I touched the cloth I could see that it was wet. My fingers came away sticky with his blood. "Let me see the wounds." I reached for his shirt so I could pull it off.  
He pushed my hand away gently. "I'm fine, Nya." He said.  
I jerked my hand away from his evasively and went back to his shirt. "No, you are not." I insisted. "Now let me see, or I'll take you over to Cole and let him do it." I smiled. "You never know. He may boil up one of his concoctions in the kitchen and rub it all over you."  
Kai rolled his eyes and peeled off his shirt. "Fine." He said. He tossed his shirt over the side of the couch without looking at where it landed and let me look. I gasped at the sheer number of wounds. "Kai, you need help." I said as I reached down and picked up his shredded shirt, then dropped it. That was gross. "Not as much physically as you do mentally. How could you ever possibly believe you're fine when you look like this?" I grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "Come on. Lets go to the kitchen and clean you up."  
Kai fought against the pull. "Aww, come on, Nya." He resisted.  
I let go and crossed my arms over my chest. "I could put you in the bathtub."  
Kai jumped to his feet with a growl. "Fine." He unknowingly mimicked my movements and crossed his arms over his bare chest. I looked at him carefully, watching how every rippling of his muscles made another trickle of blood come out of every wound that marred his handsome frame. I was proud of my brother. Next to Jay, no one was as handsome as Kai.  
I cleared my throat. "Good." I said. "Let's go." I grabbed his hand and led him out the door and to the kitchen.  
I reached into a drawer and grabbed a washcloth to clean Kai up with. "Sit down." I ordered, pointing at a chair. He grunted and obeyed, crossing his arms over his chest again. I turned on the faucet and got the towel wet. Then I went over to Kai and began gently scrubbing away the blood and dirt on his back. "Kai, hold still!" I grabbed him not too kindly and made him sit back down in the chair. He angrily straddled the chair again, planting his legs on either side as he hugged the back rest with his arms.  
I exposed a few minor cuts on his lower back and one particularly long and ugly one on his right shoulder blade.  
"Aughhh." He hissed as I tried to scrub the drying blood out of the deep cut. "Not so hard, Nya."  
"Sorry." I went back to the sink and rinsed the cloth, watching the diluted blood run down the drain. I went back to the chair and faced him. "Do you want to do your front or should I?"  
He turned around, rested his back against the seat tentatively and snatched the rag from my wet fingers. "Thank you." He said tartly. He began scrubbing his chest much more gently than I had been with his back, which meant he wasn't getting clean.  
"So." I began. "Do you wanna talk about what happened?" I asked.  
A sad look crossed his face as he looked up at me with his brown eyes and opened his mouth. He closed it again with a snap. "I...I don't know." He said after a minute. He looked at my fingers. At the ring. I looked at it with a measure of sadness.  
Tears welled up in my eyes as I confronted my biggest fear at this moment. "Is Jay going to die?" I asked, sniffing lightly.  
Kai concentrated on getting himself 'clean.' He lightly touched a scratch on his arm, merely smearing the blood further on his large bicep. A tear formed in his eye as he looked up at me again. "I don't know." He said quietly. "It...It all happened so fast, Nya. One moment he was there behind me, fighting Jay. And the next, he was swinging at my throat."  
"Who?" I was clearly missing something here.  
"That little min-droid." Kai said, tears forming in his other eye. "It swung a sword at my throat and Jay..." The tears spilled out if his eyes and he gripped the rag tighter. He sniffed and cleared his throat. "Jay... He jumped in front of me right before it could hit my chest and..."  
I've never seen Kai so emotional before. Not even when Mother died. I took the rag out of his fingers and pulled up a chair next to him. I sat down and embraced him gently, rubbing my fingers through his messy hair.  
"I should have seen it coming." Kai whispered eventually. "I wasn't alert enough, and now Jay is paying for it."  
I wrapped my right arm around him and placed it on his right shoulder. "It was his choice, Kai." I whispered back. I looked down and realized I still had the rag in my trembling left hand. I unwrapped myself from his grip and got on my knees in from of him. I grabbed his arm and began scrubbing away the blood that he had smeared from other scrapes on his body.  
"Seriously, Nya?" Kai smiled weakly. "Typical little sis."  
I tried to smile back, but I think it turned into a grimace. "Typical big brother." I retorted.  
Kai feigned a hurt look. I'll admit, it looked pretty real with the tears falling down his face. "What was that supposed to-ouch!" He jerked his arm out of my grasp.  
"Sorry." I said, realizing I could have been softer right then.  
"Don't sweat it. It's just pain." He deadpanned as he got to his feet slowly.  
I took this as a sign from him that we were done for now and threw the rag in the sink. "By the way." I said in a cracking voice. "I never said thank you."  
Kai looked confused. "For what?"  
"For trusting Jay." I smiled and looked at the glittering ring. "I'll admit. I was surprised you actually did it. And..." My vision blurred from the tears. "Thanks for not trusting him at first. Honestly, I think that makes you the best brother in the world. I mean..." I tried to form my thoughts into words as I swallowed the whole grapefruit lodged in my throat. "You just proved that you wouldn't throw me away to any guy who takes a fancy. You love me too much to let me ruin my own life." I punched his arm gently. "You'd rather do all that for me."  
Kai punched my arm back. "Sure thing, sis." He looked into my eyes long and hard. "But I really do love you. I wouldn't have you with any other man than Jay."  
I looked into his sparkling, wet eyes unsteadily and nodded. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his around my waist and breathed deeply, his breath slightly shaking as I rested my chin on his good shoulder and let more tears fall. "But why Jay?" I sobbed.  
One of Kai's hands went to my short black hair and he began to stoke it gently. "I don't know."  
"Ahem." Cole suddenly appeared in the doorway. We pulled apart slowly and looked at him.  
Cole looked pale and rather scared. "Zane...Zane wants to see you. Please come quickly." He turned and walked out.  
I gripped Kai's hand tightly and took a deep breath. "What if-"  
"Don't." Kai squeezed my hand reassuringly. "He'll be fine."  
Boy, he was chalk full of lies today. But I truly hoped he was right.  
We went to the first aid room and paused at the door. We looked at each other and flashed weak smiles before Kai grabbed the handle and turned it. He pushed it open and walked in.  
I wrinkled my nose at the stench. Antiseptic and a variety of other nasty smells made the room feel quite unpleasant. Zane approached us slowly with a look on his face that told us the worst.  
"Is he..." I couldn't bring myself to say it.  
Zane shook his head. "Not yet. But he is close. I'm sorry."I could see tears in his eyes as he backed over to the door. "I'll leave you two alone with him for a few minutes. Come on, Lloyd." The young man nodded and followed the robot out of the room, shutting the door behind them gently.  
I must have stopped all circulation in Kai's hand. I lessened my grip a bit.  
"No." He said. "Don't loosen your grip. The pain helps."  
It was strange logic, but I didn't question him. I needed the handhold to help me believe this was real, so it was a win-win, I guess.  
We walked over to the table where Jay lay, his body deathly still and pale.  
I took my free hand and ran my fingers from his temple to his chin, running through the dimples around his lips. Was he even breathing? I placed my finger under his nose and felt a warm current tickle it. He was still with us.  
A tear fell off my cheek and landed on his hand, which lay on his naked chest above the horrid wound, which was wrapped in a bloody pinkish bandage.  
I felt the limp hand, surprised to feel how cold it was. "Oh, Kai." I whispered. "This is a dream. Please." I gripped my brother's hand tighter and ran my fingers through Jay's light brown hair, which was sticky with blood. It couldn't end like this.  
"Nya," Kai said. "You have no idea how much I want this to be a dream right now."  
We heard a raspy, shallow cough come out of Jay's throat. He was waking up.  
His eyes looked glazed over, and he had a hard time keeping them open. The cloudy blue orbs found my face and locked with my own brown eyes.  
"Jay." I whispered. I let go of Kai and grabbed Jay's left hand in both of mine. He smiled slightly as he looked into my eyes and lifted up his right hand. His fingers brushed against his lips, then reached up shakily and pressed to mine. I grabbed the hand and kept it pressed to my lips.  
"I love you, Jay." I whispered shakily, warming his hand with my breath. His smile brightened a bit before relaxing a little more. He closed his eyes and his hand went limp. I held it tightly to my lips, not wanting to let go just yet.  
He forced his eyes open again and looked at Kai, who still stood at my side. There were tears in the lightning ninja's eyes as he looked at my brother, a smile still running across his cheeks.  
Kai shook his head. "You shouldn't have, brother." He took Jay's free hand. "You are such a pain." His voice cracked. "Thank you, Jay." Tears fell down his cheeks.  
Jay squeezed his hand as best he could, but it was more like a light grip than a constricting squeeze. His strength was ebbing quickly. His eyelids drooped over his eyes which shone with tears.  
He looked at me one more time and touched my ring with his thumb. A sad look crossed his face as his fingers ran over the cold stones. His mouth moved. I couldn't tell if he was trying to speak or if it was twitching. He coughed again. A dribble of blood ran down his chin and his breathing started sounding terribly slow, raspy, and very shallow.  
I reached over to a side table and grabbed a napkin. I gently wiped his face clean of the red substance from his lungs.  
More tears fell from his eyes as his entire arm went limp. He smiled at me one last time, displaying a set of perfect white teeth. His eyes closed and he exhaled slowly, releasing his last breath.  
I kissed his cold hand one last time, coating it in tears from my cheeks, before laying it back down on his bare chest. Kai released the hand he was holding as well.  
I leaned over Jay's body and kissed his cheek gently, as if trying not to wake him from a light slumber.  
"Goodbye, Jay." I whispered into his ear. "I love you."  
Kai wrapped his arms around me as I let out every emotion I had been holding in since I first saw my brother standing over Jay in the field, protecting him, as he had protected my brother.

* * *

We heard a soft knock at the door. "Kai?" Lloyd's voice filtered through the cracks in the door. "Nya? You guys still in there?"  
Kai wiped his face dry and cleared his throat. "Y-yeah." He cleared throat again. "We're still here. You can come in."  
I looked down at Jay's form, not willing to let them see my tears, but unable to stop them from falling from my eyes. I sniffed lightly and clutched Jay's cold hand, which still lay unmoving on his maimed chest.  
I heard several pairs of footsteps enter the room.  
"I sense that Jay..." Zane didn't finish. I nodded as a hand gently rested on my shoulder. Assuming it was Kai, I put my hand on top of his and was immediately confused. These hands were smaller and wider than my brother's were. And not as warm. I looked up and saw Cole.  
He looked at me with his sad green eyes, which were glittering with tears. "I'm so sorry." He whispered. I gripped his hand tighter and let him wrap his arms around me gently. For such a strong man, he could be very soft and gentle. It didn't really seem to make sense. But then again, nothing that had happened today made much sense.  
Perhaps it was a dream. Perhaps I would wake up and everything would make sense again. Sure, if I woke up, I wouldn't be engaged to the man I loved, but he would be alive. I would much rather have him live and marry someone else than die engaged to me.  
I sobbed uncontrollably in Cole's arms, balling my fists on his chest. I refrained from punching him in my anger. "Why now?" I whispered through the tears. "Why Jay?"  
Cole stroked my hair gently. It was a soothing touch, one that made me relax a bit, helping me channel my anger back into sadness.  
"One of life's great mysteries." Lloyd said softly. "Why indeed." He lifted up his right hand and a spark flew out of his palm. He was having some difficulty controlling his anger. He clenched the fist and refrained from letting another spark fly, tears glittering in his bright green eyes.  
Zane reached forward and gently peeled away the soiled bandage on Jay's stomach. I looked at the wound with wonder.  
"W-what happened to it?" I asked, a loud hiccup escaping my throat. "It looks better."  
Zane nodded. "Yes. Lloyd used the same power he had used to heal his leg when facing the Overlord. But it wasn't enough. Jay was already too far gone by the time Lloyd used it."  
I hugged Cole tighter, feeling my strength leave my body. My feet gave out under me and Cole caught me right before I fell to the floor. I felt dizzy and disoriented. And tired. I was very tired. I felt myself get lifted into his arms and heard Kai's voice somewhere in the distance. "Get her to her room, please."  
I remembered no more.

* * *

I woke up in my bed with a terrible headache. I groaned and turned over, a wave of nausea hitting me like a wave as I pulled the blankets up over my head.  
The door opened quietly and I heard footsteps shuffle across the floor. I turned over again, resisting the urge to vomit all over the intruder, and looked at him.  
Cole smiled weakly and sat down in the chair next to my bed. "Hey." He said quietly, putting a glass of water on the nightstand. "I heard you moaning. You feeling alright?"  
"No." I said hoarsely.  
Cole frowned a bit. He helped me get to a sitting position, propping me up against the pillows. "Here." He said, handing me the glass. "You probably just need a drink."  
I took the glass gratefully and guzzled it. "Thanks." I said a little clearer. "That does feel better."  
Cole smiled. "I thought so. Oh!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.  
Oh, no. Is Cole seriously thinking I would...  
Cole saw the look on my face and laughed. "No, Nya. Why would I do that?" He handed me the small jewelry box. "Open it." He urged.  
"Oh, Cole." I whispered. I pulled out a fine gold chain.  
Cole blushed slightly. "It-it's for the ring." He said. "So Jay can always stay close to your heart."  
I smiled at him sadly, tears glimmering in my eyes. "Thank you, Cole." I sniffed. "It's perfect." I took the ring off my finger and threaded it on the gold chain. Cole took it from my fingers and leaned in to put it around my neck.  
I felt the cold metal around my throat as his soft fingers redid the clasp. He ran his finger down the chain and adjusted the ring's placement, though it was sure to just get off center again the first opportunity it got.  
I caught his fingers before they left the chain and held them tightly. I wasn't sure exactly why. I just needed the support, I guess. I was having trouble deciding if this was reality.  
He looked into my eyes and gently returned the grasp. He pulled my hand up to his lips and kissed it gently. "Try and get some sleep." He whispered. He let go of my hand and helped me adjust the pillows so I could lie down again.  
"Do you need anything else?" He asked as he walked toward the door.  
I shook my head. "No, thank you." Our eyes met for just a moment before his flitted away and he closed the door.  
I twirled the chain in my fingers and rolled over. I still had that headache, but the feelings of nausea had gone away.  
I closed my eyes and felt the feelings of slumber overtake me, numbing the pain a bit as I fell asleep again.

* * *

"Nya." I groaned and turned over in the bed.  
"Nya. Wake up."  
"No." I covered my head with the pillow. "Go away, Kai." I yawned. Why couldn't he leave me alone? "Agh!" I jumped up. "Kai! Not so hot!" He was poking me with a hot finger. Not hot enough to burn, but it was still uncomfortable.  
"Sorry." He cooled his palm a bit and peeled away the blankets. "Come on, Nya. You're late for breakfast." He scooped me up in his warm arms and set me on my feet.  
I shivered and yawned again. "What's so important? Do I really need to be up right now?" I scratched my neck and felt the warm chain around my neck. "Oh." I remembered last night with mixed feelings.  
Kai looked at it and his eyes widened. "What was Cole doing in here?" He looked ready to kill something.  
I shrugged. "He just came in and gave it to me."  
I plopped back down on the bed and wrapped myself in the warm quilt. Kai sat down next to me and wrapped his arms around me, warming the quilt gently. I breathed deeply and quit shivering. "Thanks."  
Kai nodded. "Seriously. Why was he here? Did he-"  
"No!" I glared at him, not able to believe he would ever think such a thing. I took a deep breath. "Kai. Do you really think that I would be doing that kind of thing the night Jay died?" The last word came out all squeaky. I shook my head and buried it in Kai's shoulder. I wrapped my arms around him and took comfort in the soothing warmth. He seemed to be giving off a lot of it today. I let my brother place me on his lap as he made soothing noises. He put his arm around me and let me cry into his shirt as he stroked my hair gently.  
"How did you know Cole gave me the chain?" I said after several minutes.  
Kai sighed. "He's talked about it a while back. He said it belonged to his mother when he was a kid."  
"Kai!" I wiggled out of his grip, rubbing the burn on my side.  
He shook himself out of it. "Sorry."  
I put my hands on my hips. "You clothes are smoking."  
He jumped off the bed and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and toned it down. "Sorry." He sat back down on the bed and put his head in his hands.  
"How many times are you going to say that?" I rolled my eyes. "What's wrong?" I sat back down and touched him tentatively. Not too warm. I snuggled in next to him again, staying alert just in case he overused his fire powers again. "Are you okay, brother?" He was usually much better at keeping his fire in check than this.  
Kai nodded. "Yeah." He stood up and pulled me to my feet. I think my hand will have a blister burn on it later. I shed the blanket onto the floor and let him pull me out the door. Our hands intertwined and we walked over to the dining room.  
I felt acutely aware of the stares we received as we slid the door open and walked to the table. The others were almost done eating.  
Zane looked up at me and smiled sadly. "Good morning, Nya." He slid the syrup down toward the row of empty seats. "How are you feeling?"  
I grimaced. "Not good."  
Lloyd nodded sympathetically. "Yeah. I understand that."  
Cole passed Kai the plate of pancakes. "They're a bit cold now." He said apologetically.  
Kai shrugged and grabbed the plate. He looked at me. "How many?"  
"Just one." I looked at the floor and sniffed. Lloyd reached across the table and handed me a tissue, which they apparently had at the ready because we were all crying a little bit. No use denying it.  
"Thanks." I wiped away a tear and took it gratefully.  
Kai plopped a steaming hot pancake on my plate. I glared at him, knowing he got the message. He doesn't have to do everything for me. But still, I was grateful.  
Kai grabbed the jar of syrup and looked at me. "How warm?"  
I rolled my eyes and sighed. "However you have it is fine."  
Kai held the jar in both hands and counted to three under his breath. He opened it and poured a bit on my plate. "That's good, Kai. Kai!" I pulled my plate away, leaving him to pull the jar way before the hot sticky mess got too much larger.  
"Sorry." He said.  
I sighed and moved further down the table. "It's fine." I picked up my fork and cut up my drowning pancake, ready to put it out of its misery.  
Zane jumped up and ran into the kitchen. He came back a moment later with a wet rag and helped Kai clean up. I was in no mood to help them, or even apologize. It was Kai's fault, anyway. He knows I don't like lots of syrup.  
Kai looked at me concernedly. "You said however I had my syrup was fine."  
"No!" I shouted, making even Wu stare at me. "You asked me how warm I wanted it!" I sighed loudly and nested my head into my arms on the table. I felt nauseas again and my head pounded. I moaned and sniffled.  
"I'm...I'm sorry, Nya." Kai said quietly.  
I broke down as I looked up at my brother. "You should be!" I shouted. I looked at the tear stained faces around the table and felt angry. Very angry. "It's all your fault he's gone!" I shouted, now half blinded by tears. I jumped up and left the room, anger and frustration from the events of the past day exploding inside of me.  
I ran across the deck and jumped into my suit, which I hadn't put away since yesterday's misadventure. I turned it on and flew off in a blast of smoke and fire.  
I didn't know or care where I went. I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a while.

* * *

"WaRninG. LOw bAtteRy."  
A red light flashed in the control panel. I flew into a dive and landed on the ground with a loud crunch.  
I jumped out and shivered as I hit the snow. I looked around me. I was probably in the Birchwood Forest. I sighed and mentally reproached myself. I should have thought this through a little better. I didn't want to go back right now, but I knew I would soon enough.  
And I was cold. I wished I had brought a jacket. Or at least a decent pair of shoes. I looked at my feet. I was wearing my sandals. Smart move. I jumped back into the suit.  
"GPS." I commanded. The screen came to life and crackled. "Location."  
A series of beeps and clicks followed. "BIrcHwoOd ForEsT."  
I rolled my eyes. "I know. But which way is home?"  
"ScaNninG. C-ur-uRenT...CooRdi-Di-nAt..." The computer made a sputtering noise and died.  
"No!" I banged the control panel with my fist and growled. "Great." I looked at my wrist and remembered my communicator bracelet was still missing. No way of calling the Bridge. And my suit wouldn't be giving off a signal until it got charged up, which wouldn't happen until I found the Bounty. I was on my own.  
I jumped out of the suit and back into the snow.  
Which way was home? I was completely at a loss. I looked up at the sky. It was around noon. No way of telling which way was south right now.  
So I had two choices. Wait for someone to find me, or go wander around until I found a place with a map. I sighed, shivering a little harder. I wouldn't blame them if they left me here for a few more hours before they began searching. I certainly deserved it.  
I decided I would begin walking. I looked at my suit. Judging the direction I was going when I landed, I decided I would trust my luck and guess which way was south. I began trudging through the deep snow, arms crossed on my chest as I shivered. "Just keep moving." I told myself. "That's the best way to s-stay warm."  
I looked around me at the landscape. It was very pretty. I understood why Zane loved being up here so much. The sun hit all the trees in a way that made them glow with a pinkish-orange light. "I think," I said to myself, "I think orange is my second favorite color." I closed my eyes and fought back a tear. "But... But blue is still m-my favorite."  
I shivered even harder and choked back more tears. "Oh, Jay." I tripped on a fallen tree and landed on my face. The tears poured down my cheeks and froze before they could drip.  
"Jay." I sobbed. I couldn't feel my fingers. All the better, because I started punching the log I had tripped on. Better to not have to feel the pain. I beat my fists on the tree over and over again, crying my eyes out into the freezing snow. "Where did you go?" I shouted into the air. My breath rose in wispy tendrils and out of my range of vision. I slumped over the fallen tree and continued crying. My brain started pounding against my skull. I moaned and slumped into the snow, resting my back against the log, my breath shaking from the cold and my sobbing.  
The ground suddenly started shaking. The long log I was laying on moved and made a noise. I realized my mistake.  
"A treehorn!" I exclaimed. I backed up slowly, hoping it wouldn't see me as a threat. Of course it would, though. I had been punching it with my fists and shouting. What better way to send a message that you are an enemy?  
The huge beast got to its feet and bellowed loudly. I covered my ears as the cry rolled over the frozen forest. I could swear I actually saw the air moving with the sound that came from its fanged mouth.  
It looked at me angrily as I slowly backed up. I was so focused on the one in front of me I backed right into another one.  
"Ouch!" I rubbed my head and let out a yelp of surprise as I rolled through the snow to escape getting flattened by its ginormous foot.  
Just my luck, forgetting to grab a weapon from the mech before I began my trek. I decided my best defense would be to run. And I did just that for about one minute before I realized I was completely surrounded by the tree-like creatures.  
That must have been what the first treehorn had been doing when it had let out the loud call. It wanted backup to take care of the 'pest problem'.  
I wondered what my brother would find when he finally started searching for me. Do treehorns eat humans? I couldn't remember.  
They advanced on me slowly. I looked for a way of escape but found none.  
"Awk!" I heard the bird call above me. "Awk!" The falcon!  
Tears of relief found their way down my frozen cheeks. "Zane!" I called out as loud as I could.  
"Nya!" I heard his soft voice in the distance. "I'm coming!"  
I felt hope revive inside of me as I saw his shape appear over the hill, running as fast as he could towards me.  
"NinjaGo!" He used his spinjitsu and rammed into the legs of several treehorns, knocking them to the ground. I had to dodge the falling monsters as they tumbled down head and limb around me. There was now an opening in the ring of assailants.  
"Run, Nya!" Zane shouted.  
I nodded and ran as fast as I could. But I felt sluggish and weak from my time in the cold. My mind was spinning and I couldn't think straight. I forced myself to run. I ran in the straightest line I could muster up in my swirling brain and went for it.  
It didn't last long. I suddenly had a mental lapse and fell face first in the snow. I shook my head to clear my thoughts but it didn't work. It was like I was jumbling up my vision further with each shake. I gave up and went limp in the snow.  
It wasn't so bad, really. The snow felt quite warm. I wondered if I somehow had acquired my brothers's power of controlling heat.  
"Nya." I felt a pair of hands shaking me.  
"Go away. I want to sleep." I moaned. I felt myself get scooped off the ground and into Zane's arms.  
"I'm not kidding, Zane. Leave me alone."  
"This is not good." Zane said in a troubled tone. "Nya. You have to stay awake."  
"But I'm so tired, Zane. Why should I?"  
"My early assessment tells me you have hypothermia, Nya. Falling asleep could induce a coma."  
I yawned. "Whatever that means. Goodnight, Zane." I tried to fall asleep nestled in his grasp. For a robot, he had a very soft body. Not at all like the steel frame you would expect it to be.  
"Nya!" He shouted, shaking me in his arms. "Please!" His voice was desperate. "Nya!" He ran with me gripped tightly in his arms. "Come on, stay with me." He shouted. But it sounded like a whisper in my ears. I felt myself drift in and out of consciousness as he plodded along in the snow. We suddenly plunged into darkness and down a long flight of steps.  
I was placed on the floor gently. Zane locked his cyan blue eyes on mine as he rummaged his pockets. "Stay with me. We can do this, Nya." I was having trouble with my vision, but I was fairly certain he had tears in his eyes.  
He finally found what he was looking for and temporarily had a look of relief on his face. "I'll start a fire."  
I groaned. Why wouldn't he stop talking? I just wanted to sleep. "But it's plenty warm in here, Zane. Don't bother." I said.  
Zane's features just darkened further as he threw a small object into the fire. It burst into a large flame, which he fed with small sticks and branches. The light burned my eyes and I tried to roll over so I didn't have to look at it. But I was just too tired to exert myself like that. I closed my eyes and embraced the warm darkness.  
"Nya, no!" His voice echoed in my consciousness for a few seconds, and I blacked out.

* * *

**(Zane's POV)**

* * *

"Nya!" My mechanical heart pounded in my chest. I shook her in a way I knew I should never shake a human. But she had to stay awake.  
Her voice was barely audible. "Goway, Zane." She fell asleep.  
My vision blurred with tears as I assessed the situation and took a deep breath. I got to my feet and paced the room slowly, running my fingers through my platinum blond hair. "Stay calm, Zane." I told myself. "You can do this." I looked at Nya's still form on the floor.  
I reached down and touched her bluish colored hand. She was so cold. I knew that didn't matter for me. I was the ninja of ice. But for her, I knew it was only a matter of time before her heart stopped beating from the cold in her blood.  
"Ok. What do I do." I rubbed my head again and thought of the treatment. I had read about it once or twice.  
"First step. Keep patient awake." I looked at her sleeping form and did a facepalm.  
"Nope. Ok. Second step. Keep patient warm. But raise body temperature slowly. Too quickly and it'll harm the tissues in her skin. Ways of raising body temperature: getting out of the cold environment is key. Check. Next step." I groaned. This would not be pleasant for either of us. But... Doctors did this all the time, right? I sighed and got on my knees. I had to get her out of her wet clothing.  
I wiggled the frozen zipper and realized just how cold she had become. While her skin had still been warm, the snow had melted onto the dress, making it dripping wet. It had then frozen to her skin.  
I finally got the zipper loose and slowly peeled the stiff red outfit away from her skin. It took a lot of wiggling, but I finally did it. I hung it up next to the fire, wanting it to get dry as soon as possible so she could put it back on.  
I felt sick to my stomach. This was wrong. But it was the only way to save her life. I took off my own clothes and wrapped them around her body carefully.  
I rapped my skull, wondering why the others convinced me to be the one to go and talk to her. Kai would be of much better use to her right now than anyone else. At least it would be a little less immoral for him to be doing this. He was her brother. I was a robot. A cyborg who had no business doing what it was doing. I shook my head at myself. No. I had all the business there needed to be. I was saving her life.  
I said that over and over again in my head as I scooped her tiny body into my arms and carried her to the bed. I swallowed a lump in my throat. The bed my father had died in over thirty years ago. I forced the memory into the furthest recesses of my databanks and set her down. I put the thin sheet over her and tried to make her comfortable, though I was sure she was oblivious to my efforts.  
I dropped to my knees and tried to wake her up again. "Come on, Nya." I shouted, refraining from shaking her this time. "I will not lose a brother and a sister in the same twenty four hours. You will not do this to me."  
No response. Not even a twitch or change in breathing pattern.  
The room still felt cold, as did Nya's bluing skin. I pressed my hand to her temple and got a reading on her internal temperature. My heart sunk. "Thirty degrees Celsius." I whispered. This was bad. I felt her pulse. It was slightly irregular and slow. I shook my head. "No. Please, no!" I fell to my knees. What would the others say? If Nya died...  
I went through my memory processors again and again. What was I missing? Getting her warm was my main task. But she wasn't making enough of her own body heat. I looked around the room, searching for something that could be of use. She needed something warm to be touching her skin. A hot water bottle. An electric blanket. But the house was bare of those kind of supplies. There were cans of food in a cupboard I could put against her skin, but those would take too long to heat up, and there was too much risk of burning her skin if they stayed in the fire too long. I needed something that was mildly warm. There was only one thing that came to mind. I took a deep breath. If it meant saving her, I would do it. This kind of thing didn't matter when a human's life was on the line.  
I couldn't convince myself that it was good. But I was built to protect those who could not protect themselves. And right now, my programming said to protect this woman at all costs.  
I stood up reluctantly. No words could explain how grossed out I was by this. But I had to do it. I crawled into the bed with her, wrapping my arms around her gently. I just had to keep my ice powers in check. If I let my skin grow cold, she would be dead. I wouldn't let that happen. I had to stay warm. She had to get warm.  
One scene with my father came back in vivid detail. I was sitting on this very bed, playing with one of my mechanical butterflies.  
My father sat next to me, his frail voice wavering as he spoke. "Zane, one of these days, it will happen. And when it does, you shall have to leave here. You were built to protect those who cannot protect themselves. And I am only holding you back from that duty I programmed into you."  
I felt the butterfly come to life in my hand and I opened my palm, letting it fly into the air.  
"I understand, father." I had said. "But know this: I don't ever take pleasure in the thought of you leaving, even though it is the way of all things."  
"The way of all things." I whispered.  
It would happen, but I was determined not to let it happen today. I fought back another tear as I once again checked Nya's temperature. "Still thirty degrees."  
I hugged her tighter and made sure that I wasn't making her cold with my powers. After being thus satisfied, I mentally tinkered with some of my controls. I didn't want to fall asleep. I made sure I was on a sleepless cycle before relaxing a bit. I could keep myself on this setting for several days before rest became imperative to my survival.  
"Awk!" My falcon entered the room and landed at the foot of the bed. It's huge eyes looked at me questioningly.  
"Go and get help." I ordered. "Bring Kai and Lloyd. But not Cole and Sensei. Please." The falcon called out again in response and flapped its wings. It flew into the air and left the room.  
I breathed a sigh of relief. Ok. That was done. Now I just needed to wait.

* * *

I heard footsteps. Good. They were finally here.  
"Zane!" I heard Kai's voice. "What are you doing to Nya?"  
I was acutely self conscious about how things must have looked and got up slowly.  
Kai looked like he was about ready to grind me into a ball of spare parts.  
"Kai, she is hypothermic." I reasoned, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I brought her here at least thirty minutes ago, and her internal temperature hasn't come above thirty one degrees Celsius the entire time. I assure you, there was nothing more. I was merely trying to save your sister."  
Kai suddenly looked pale. "That's not good." He jumped down the remaining steps and ran to the bed. "You let her fall asleep?"  
"Forgive me. I did all I could. I was busy fighting the-"  
"Never mind." Lloyd said. "Let me try to heal her."  
I nodded and pulled Kai away from the bed.  
Lloyd walked up slowly and touched her skin. He drew his hand away quickly. "You weren't kidding!" He exclaimed. "She is really cold." He peeled away the sheet, revealing her small frame in my clothes, which were several sizes too large for her. He closed his eyes and put his left hand at the back of her neck. Then he put his right on her stomach. He breathed deeply and waited a minute. "Zane. What's her temperature now?"  
I checked and shook my head. "Still thirty one." I could feel the gentle heat rising from his hands. He was using his fire power first.  
"Don't burn her." I warned.  
Lloyd just nodded.  
We waited another minute or so.  
"Temperature?" He asked again.  
"Same."  
Lloyd sighed and pulled his hands away. "What do you think, Zane? If it's hypothermia, surely she has some internal damage." He scratched the back of his neck.  
I nodded. "Some of her organs may be shutting down."  
"Ok." Lloyd sighed. He closed his eyes and put his hands together, making a bright gold orb in his palm as he pulled them apart. His hands slowly moved over Nya's body in slow motions. This went on for several minutes before he clasped his hands together again and extinguished the light. He touched her neck, checking her pulse. He mumbled something incoherent under his breath and put his hands on her chest and side. There was a short zapping sound and he touched her neck again. Lloyd smiled in relief and created his golden orb again, holding his hands above her body. He extinguished the light moments later and sighed. "Temperature, Zane?"  
I put my hand on her head and gasped. "Thirty three."  
Lloyd opened his eyes and smiled. "Good." He backed away slowly and looked at Kai. "You should get in the bed with her. Warm yourself just a bit, and make sure you are getting every part of her warm. Not just where I had my hands. And don't bother with you clothes. You can keep her plenty warm with them on."  
Kai nodded, clearly relieved that he did not have to suffer the same fate as me, and got into the bed.  
Lloyd turned to me. "Do you have anything here to make food with?"  
"Yes." I went to the small pantry. "There's not much. Mostly cans. But it will do, I think."  
"Good. Give me a couple and I'll warm them up."  
"In a moment, Lloyd." I chuckled. "Just let me find something to put on over my underwear first."

* * *

**(Nya's POV)**

* * *

I yawned and tried to turn over in the bed. Why was I so cold? I could feel a gentle heat rising from somewhere near my back, but I still shivered and felt half frozen. I hiked the thin blanket higher, trying to cover my chin. That's when I noticed my clothing. Was I wearing Zane's kimono? The thought made me sick. Why was I was sharing clothes with him? What was I doing here? I paused. Where was here?  
"We shouldn't have let her go alone." I heard Zane's voice speak up.  
"I agree." Lloyd said.  
I felt something move in the bed beside me. A person? I screamed loudly and pushed him straight out of the bed.  
"Kai!" I shouted. "What are you doing!"  
He scrambled off the floor and jumped back onto the bed. He embraced me tightly. "Nya!" I watched tears appear in his eyes. "Your ok."  
"Well why wouldn't I be?" I didn't like how hard he was squeezing. "Can you give me my clothes?" I squeaked as he let go.  
My head pounded terribly. I moaned and pressed my fingers to my temple.  
I heard Lloyd's voice. "They're still a bit wet. Sorry. Just wrap yourself in the blanket. You need to stay warm."  
I gratefully took the blanket Kai handed me and wrapped myself in it before standing up. My bare feet felt numb on the cold floor as I continued shivering.  
Zane handed me a can of soup and a spoon. He gently put his hand on my back and led me to the fire.  
"Thank you, Zane." I said.  
He smiled slightly. "You are welcome. Just don't do that again. It was not a very pleasant experience."  
"Oh, but wasn't it?" Kai sounded bitter. He got to his feet and stood between us.  
Zane blatantly ignored Kai's comment. "Excuse me please, Nya." He said. He pushed Kai out if the way gently and pressed his hand on my forehead. He closed his eyes and seemed to be concentrating on something.  
"What's going on?" I asked no one in particular. "Was I sick?"  
Kai nodded. "Yeah. You could say that."  
I sighed as I felt Zane's cold fingers on my head. It certainly helped with my headache, having something that cold pressed there.  
Zane opened his eyes triumphantly and helped me sit down next to my brother. "Thirty six." He said.  
Lloyd cheered. Kai just hugged me tightly, shaking my soup and making my head spin as it pounded. "Hey. Careful, Kai!" I exclaimed. He loosened big grip a bit and allowed me to adjust my position on his lap.  
I decided to ask all my questions now. "Where are we?" I looked around me and the cylindrically shaped room with a long staircase running up into the darkness above.  
"My home." Zane said. "This is where I was made."  
I pressed onward. "Will someone please explain why I'm lacking... Ahem. Proper garments?"  
I heard Zane groan as my brother chuckled ruefully. "That was our dear Nindroid." Kai explained vaguely.  
Zane sat down next to Kai with a grunt. "My apologies, Nya. But your clothes were quite frozen. Staying I them much longer would have had dire-Ouch!" I saw Zane jumped in surprise as Kai punched his shoulder. "Go on. She deserves to know."  
"I was getting to it." Zane said, not hiding his annoyance. He sighed and looked at me. "Well, you've had first aid experience, Nya. You know what we are required to do when the patient gets too cold, and nothing else is a available." He looked at the floor, obviously embarrassed.  
I raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"  
Zane stared at me, a confused look painting his face. "You don't remember?"  
I shook my head. "Remember what?"  
Zane crawled over to where I sat and grabbed my shoulders. He looked into my eyes. "Nya. What's the last thing you remember."  
I thought for a moment, a bit puzzled my his intensity. "I don't know. I remember falling asleep on the Bounty, then waking up here."  
"What day is it, Nya?" Lloyd asked me with a tremble in his voice.  
I thought a moment. "The tenth of July?"  
Zane's face darkened. "Nya." He said softly. He let go of my shoulders and sighed. "It's the fifth of August."  
I was even more confused. "Was I in a coma?"  
"Yeah" Zane stood up and paced the floor in front of the fire. "For about thirteen hours."  
Kai looked at me, tears in his eyes. "I think you may have amnesia." He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me onto his lap gently.  
I felt my heart pound as I burrowed into my brother's embrace. My head was bursting with questions. And pain. My head hurt so badly.  
"So..." Lloyd began. "She doesn't remember."  
My brother's grip tightened on my baggy, loaned clothes.  
"Remember what?" I had a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach as I realized who was missing from the group. "Where are Cole and Jay?" I asked shakily, hoping beyond hope that they were alive.  
Zane spoke up reluctantly. "Cole is back at the Bounty waiting for us." He stopped pacing and sat down in a chair, resting his head in his hands.  
I found myself inexplicably twirling my fingers around a chain on my neck. I looked at the golden chain and my heart stopped when I saw the ring. A tear ran down my cheek. "Is Jay..." I couldn't bring myself to say it.  
"Dead?" Kai said. "Yes, Nya. He died less than forty eight hours ago."  
I felt like I needed to vomit. My head swirled even more, and the light throbbing in my head increased to a light pounding. "No." I whispered. I fell limp in Kai's arms, tears blurring my vision. "What..." I swallowed hard. "What happened?" I asked.  
"I don't have complete certainty on that one," Zane said. "But when we get back to the Bounty, I can show you what we saw through surveillance tapes, and my own memory."  
Kai fingered the chain on my neck. His fingers slowly ran down the fine metal links until they reached the beautiful ring. "Jay gave this to you not even an hour before his death." He said, grasping my hand tightly.  
I reached for the ring and put it on. It only fit over the first knuckle, because of the chain that ran through the hole, but I could tell that it would be a perfect fit if I ever dared to remove it from the chain.  
There was a soft rumble that echoed on the walls inside this strange home.  
Lloyd got to his feet. "Sounds like the Bounty has arrived." He said. He looked at Zane. "Did you call it or something?"  
Zane nodded and got to his feet silently. He extended a hand to me and helped me get to my feet. I felt unable to keep my balance and held onto his plain white shirt tightly. He wrapped his arm around my torso and helped Kai to his feet next. Kai took me from Zane's arms and I took a step forward. My knees gave way and I fell to the floor.  
"I can't do it, Kai." I sniffed. "It hurts too much."  
Zane looked at me closely. "She is still hypothermic, Kai. Normal body temperature is no less than thirty seven degrees."  
Kai reached down and scooped me into his arms gently. "It's okay, Nya." He said softly.  
He radiated a soft heat from his body softly as we ascended the steps. There were a lot of them. We finally reached the top step and Zane opened the door.  
I shivered as I watched my breath rise onto the air in the light of the full moon that shone brightly on the snow.  
I felt Kai warm himself a bit more as they ran through the snow to where the Bounty was descending toward the ground.  
Cole was on the deck waiting for us when we arrived where he had landed. He lowered a plank and Kai carried me onto the deck, followed by Zane and Lloyd.  
Cole saw me and frowned. "What happened?"  
I didn't want to answer. I felt so nauseated, I just hoped Kai would set me down before I vomited. I knew it was coming for sure this time.  
Kai walked down the hall, followed by the others. I felt it rising in my throat and shoved myself out of my brother's arms just in time to save him a filthy shirt.  
I realized with dismay that my stomach was void of anything but those few bites of soup, so I just sat there and hacked and wheezed up air until I was so exhausted I collapsed, out of breath and aching terribly in the abdominal area.  
Kai looked worried. "Nya. Are you ok?"  
I rolled onto my back and glared at him. "Why don't you get a good look and see for yourself. Cuz I have no clue." I deadpanned.  
Cole looked at me over Kai's shoulder. "Seriously, guys." He said, grabbing a towel from the bathroom, which we had apparently just passed. "Will someone please tell me what is going on?" He leaned over next to me and cleaned up the tiny mess.  
I waved my arm. "Don't ask me. I've apparently forgotten every mishap done on this blasted ship since the tenth of July." I huffed.  
Cole looked at my brother worriedly. "Has she lost her head?" He asked.  
"A part of it, apparently." I pressed my palm on my forehead and fell to the floor again, moaning.  
Kai reached down to pick me up. "Ok. You are going to bed now. And you're not going to get up for any reason. Got it?"  
I watched the room spin around me as he lifted me off the floor. "Fine." I growled.  
"Good grief." Cole moaned. "You two are..." He tried to find the right word.  
"Insufferable?" Lloyd offered.  
"Thank you!" Cole waved his arms in the air and continued. "You two siblings are insufferable. Is it impossible to get a coherent answer out of your mouths?"  
"Relax, Cole." Zane said. "I shall inform you of all the important details later."  
"Come with us for a minute please, Zane." Kai gestured with his head.  
The Nindroid nodded and followed behind the fire ninja, leaving Cole and Lloyd alone in the hall.  
I felt myself get set down on a cold mattress. My bed. Apparently, I had forgotten to make it before I left the ship. I shivered harder. The mattress was really cold.  
"Whoops." Kai laughed lightly and rubbed his hands over the mattress, warming it just a bit. "Is that better?"  
I nodded. "Thanks." My teeth chattered. Kai smiled and spread the thick blankets over me. He retrieved the one from the floor and spread it on top. I closed my eyes in an effort to make the world stop spinning. It worked somewhat.  
"Zane, can you make me some ice?" I heard Kai speak. A moment later I felt my shoulder get tapped gently. "Just sit up for a moment please, Nya." Zane supported my back as Kai handed me a warm glass of water.  
I normally didn't like warm water, but this felt good. Like it was warming up my body, starting at the torso and moving out through my limbs and helping my muscles relax. I stopped shivering and took my first free breath since I woke up this morning.  
"Thanks." I said as Zane laid my head back down on the pillow and took the glass from my fingers.  
"My pleasure." Zane said. "If you'll excuse me please, I need some rest. It is, after all, well past midnight." He turned and left.  
Kai grabbed an extra blanket from my closet and laid it over me. "You okay with me leaving for the night as well?"  
I nodded slowly, as to minimize the increase of throbbing in my head. "Yeah. Go ahead. I'll be fine." I smiled at him and closed my eyes. "Thank you."  
I felt him gently run his fingers through my hair, caressing me in the way he has since I was a small child. "Good night, Nya." He whispered, retracting his hand and leaving the room without another word.  
I took a deep breath and stared at the insides of my eyelids until sleep overtook me.

* * *

I heard a soft knock on the door. "Hey, Nya." Kai's voice came through the door. "Are you awake yet?"  
"Yeah." I yawned. "Come on in." I tried to sit up, but suddenly had a dizzy spell and gave it up, slumping back into the soft pillows as I shivered slightly.  
Kai saw me fall onto the pillow and bent over me, blocking out the morning light that was coming through the window.  
"How do you feel?" He asked, touching my forehead with a warm hand.  
I pushed his hand away and groaned. "Like I spent an entire day on that spinning ride at Megamonster's." More like a week, but I wasn't one to complain like that.  
Kai smiled ruefully. "A nice comparison. Zane is almost done with breakfast, and wants to know if you feel like eating. It's pancakes again. And today, I'll be sure to put less syrup on your plate. Don't want history repeating itself." He checked himself. "Uh... Never mind." He chuckled.  
"No, I get it." I laughed with him for about two seconds before I realized how much my head was throbbing and forced myself to stop.  
Kai looked at me with surprise. "You do?" His smile brightened. "Is your memory returning?"  
I shrugged, pressing my right hand onto my temple. "A little, I guess. But I don't remember sitting down before or standing up after the syrup spill. And I don't know what day it was, or why I was crying."  
Kai's smile darkened a bit. "That's too bad. But it's also good. It probably means that you will have all your memories back soon." He grabbed my hand and frowned. "I'll see you later, Nya." He turned and left the room quickly, leaving me to wonder at his behavior.  
Everything seemed so different. You wouldn't think that things change that much in a month, but I suppose it was possible. The biggest change was that everything was quiet. It seemed that people were afraid to make noise anymore. Without Jay here, things were rather colorless. I wondered if anything would ever return to a state of normalcy again. Normal for us, that is. Because I'm sure our version of 'normal' greatly differed from the rest of the world's definition of the vast and opinionated word.  
I rubbed my neck and moaned again right before I heard another knock.  
"Come in."  
Zane opened the creaky door and peeked inside. "Greetings." He said, stepping in the rest of the way and shutting the door behind him. He held a tray perfectly balanced in his left hand as he pushed the door shut with his foot.  
I watched the tray with amusement. The orange juice wasn't moving even a little bit on the tray. Zane had mastered the art of balance with flawless results.  
"Hey." I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was hallucinating, and if there really was orange juice on the tray. Surely it was impossible to keep a glass so perfectly still.  
Zane stepped forward and set the tray down on the nightstand. The glass must have been frozen. There was definitely no way it could have kept from moving otherwise.  
Zane examined my face. "May I check your internal temperature?" He asked.  
I shrugged and ended up wincing. My whole neck and shoulder area was wound up tight. "Go ahead."  
He pressed his hand, which was strangely warm, onto my forehead and held it there for several seconds. He frowned, much as my brother had. "Do you feel cold, Nya?" He asked.  
"A little bit." I replied.  
"Hmm." Zane ran his fingers through his blond hair thoughtfully. "Kai was right. You have a small fever. But that is only to be expected, I suppose. Your body was trying to regenerate its body heat and went into overdrive." He reached down and helped me sit upright, propping pillows behind me. He suddenly stopped when his fingers touched my shoulder.  
"Your muscles are tense." He remarked. "New plan." He scooped me into his arms gently. Even with the careful, balanced movements, the walls spun as he set me back down on my stomach. He tossed the pillows to the floor and repositioned my arms. He began rubbing my neck with deep, rhythmic motions.  
I moaned with delight as he pushed on my shoulder blades and slowly rotated his hands around my mid-back, and then up into my neck, and down to my hips. It seemed that the pain just melted away as his thin, delicate fingers grew colder and pressed deeper into my spine.  
He seemed to know exactly where I was hurting the most and persistently massaged those areas until they tingled with pleasure.  
"Zane?" I said after several minutes. "How are you so good at everything?"  
I felt his fingers hesitate a moment before continuing under my jaw. "I am not good at everything, Nya. No one is."  
"But you're as close as anyone could get. Do you have a hypothesis?"  
There was a moment of silence before he reluctantly began. "I...I don't know. I suppose having a pictographic memory helps. I remember everything I see. So if I watch someone do something, chances are I will be able to do it as well. Medicinal and chiropractic practices have always come easily to me anyways." He removed his hands and stepped back. I looked up with mild disappointment as I realized it was over.  
"Try sitting up now." Zane said.  
I turned over and was struck with awe as I painlessly sat up and dangled my legs over the edge of the bed. "Ohhh." I smiled. "Thank you, Zane." I lifted my arms above my head and stretched effortlessly for the first time in goodness knows how long.  
Zane picked up the pillows and put them back on the bed. "You are welcome, Nya." He propped up the pillows and helped me lean into them. He pulled the many layers of blankets up over me and frowned. He pulled two of them off and folded them neatly, setting them aside. "But gratitude is not required." He handed me the glass of orange juice. I smiled with amusement as it rippled in my grasp.  
"I was built to protect humans, and make their world a better place." Zane continued. "This is a primary function, caring for you and my brothers."  
He meant his fraternity brothers, of course. He had no other Nindroid friends. He was the only one Doctor Julien ever made before his death. All the newer, evil ones were created from blueprints found in Zane's old home.  
I gasped, dropping the glass on the Zane's foot. He jumped back in surprise as it shattered all over him and the floor.  
"What's wrong, Nya?" He asked, grabbing a blanket and spreading it over the mess.  
My breathing came fast and deep. I clutched my chest and felt the room move in and out in waves. I felt cold hands grab my wrist and hold it tightly for several seconds. Was it Zane? I couldn't tell. The world slowly turned grey. "Nya, what is wrong?" It must have been. Zane that held my wrist, as it was his voice that asked. I felt myself get gently placed in a laying position.  
"Kai!" Zane's voice echoed in the distance as I entered the dark tunnel.

* * *

"Aw, screw this!" Jay exclaimed, looking into my eyes. He sighed. "Will you marry me, Nya?"  
I threw my arms around him and tried to speak, but no words came out. I suddenly found myself holding something else. I looked into Jay's eyes, which filled with mirth as he tried to get out of my grip. But I wasn't going to give up that easily. I dug my fingers into his shoulder blades, making him laugh harder as I tickled him. He finally wiggled himself out of my arms and fell off the couch and onto the floor. I reached down and grabbed his hand, helping him get back onto the seat. The scene change again. The hand turned cold in my grasp, wet from my tears.  
"Thank you, Jay." Kai said, voice trembling as he took Jay's other hand. A smile escaped Jay's lips as he looked back up at me, eyes only half seeing. "I love you, Nya." He whispered almost inaudibly as he left the weight of his arm in my hands and exited this world.  
"Wake up, Nya!" Zane shouted loudly, shaking me hard.  
I just wanted to sleep, couldn't he see that?  
"Stay with me, Nya." His voice shook. "I'll start a fire."  
I was warm enough, why did he want a fire?  
"Nya, no!" His voice said faintly, as if being carried over a long distance.  
I moaned and rolled onto my side. "Goway, Zane."  
Zane moaned softly. "Don't do this to me again, Nya. Come on, wake up." He said, softly shaking me.  
"Let me try." Kai said.  
I paused. That wasn't right. Kai wasn't there. Zane was the only one in the house after the treehorn attack. Someone was rubbing my shoulders gently with a warm grip. I sighed and relaxed, not wanting him to stop.  
"Nya?" He said softly. "Come on, sis. Wake up."  
I reluctantly opened my eyes and turned over, making my brother let go of my shoulders. "Yeah?" I yawned loudly, sitting up and reaching my arms out for a long stretch.  
"Thank goodness." Kai sighed. "You were right, Zane. She just fainted."  
I looked at him quizzically and lowered my arms. "I what?"  
"Fainted." Zane said. "A sudden loss of consciousness due to a sudden-"  
"Yea, I know what it means, Zane." I said. "But why?"  
"You tell us." Kai said, sitting down on the bed next to me.  
Zane backed out of the room slowly. "I'll leave you how alone." He said softly.  
"Thanks, Zane." Kai said.  
Zane nodded and slid through the door.  
I suddenly felt overwhelmed. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I fell onto my brother's shoulder. "I...I remember. I remember it all, Kai." I sobbed.  
Kai wrapped his arms around me and radiated a soothing warmth. "Do you want to talk about it?" He said quietly, rocking back and forth slowly.  
"No." my chest heaved with the sobs. I grabbed the necklace and fingered the ring. "I want Jay back." I knew I was asking the impossible, but I had to say it.  
Kai kissed my cheek gently. "I know." His breath tickled my ear. "We all do."  
I remembered my sudden outburst at breakfast yesterday and felt remorseful. "I'm so sorry, Kai." I sniffed. "It was not your fault."  
"It's okay." He whispered. "We've all been under a lot of stress lately. I know you didn't mean it."  
I gripped my brother's shirt with my fist and buried my face in his chest. I thought I was past this. I thought I would grow out of my brother's lap eventually. Crying about my mother's death, of course I could do it on his shoulder. I was much smaller then, and fit into his arms a lot better. When father died, as well. It seemed reasonable enough to do it with big brother holding me close.  
Over twenty years later, I was certain I never would truly leave the realm of being eight or thirteen, I would never truly grow out of Kai's warm embraces. And I didn't need to.  
We sat alone for over an hour, comforting each other, supporting each other. Kai still blames himself for the loss. No matter what I tell him, he still believes he could have done something to save Jay. I feel partially responsible for his thinking there. I should have controlled my tongue better.  
I rubbed his shoulders gently for a lot of the time, knowing the full potential of such a touch. He returned the favor a while later.  
After having cried ourselves out, we untangled ourselves from the other's embrace and sighed in unison.  
I looked at my clothing with disgust. "I'm still wearing these." I said to myself, wondering why on earth I didn't demand a set of my own clothes the moment Kai set me down on the bed last night. I looked at Kai. "Is there something else I should know about this? 'Cause it's freaking me out."  
Kai looked slightly peeved, then a bit amused. "No, I don't think so." He laughed lightly. "I'm hoping not, at least."  
I figured he was right and relaxed a bit. If anything really did happen, Zane wouldn't be on the ship at this moment to tell the tale, let alone still be on speaking terms with my brother.  
"Ok." I said, jumping off his lap quickly. I gripped my head. Too quickly. The room spun for a moment before settling back into focus again.  
"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to change. And then never speak of this to anyone." I opened the closet door and rummaged through the stacks of clothing.  
Kai got off the bed and chuckled lightly, giving me a  
one-armed hug and kissing my cheek again. "Agreed." He left the room.  
I selected a warm orange outfit and changed quickly and easily. Combing my hair out was another story. Even though it was short and not very thick, it felt like I was trying to comb through a wild horse's mane. After finally getting it somewhat orderly, I washed my face and dried it quickly.  
I remembered my breakfast. I went to the nightstand and wolfed down the two cold pancakes, realizing that it was my first meal in over two days.  
I stepped on something sharp and noticed the wet blanket on the floor. I decided to get it scrubbed up before it got completely dry, and went to the sink for towels. I carefully cleaned up the broken glass and sticky orange mess without cutting myself too badly, then threw the towels into the basket with Zane's outfit. They could get washed together later.  
Finally feeling confident that I was ready for the day, I took a deep breath and started the trip to the kitchen.  
I walked through the empty dining room and pushed open the kitchen door.  
Zane was at the sink washing dishes. He turned and saw me and smile ran across his face. "Greetings." He dried his hands on the pink apron he was wearing. "I am going to assume you are here for a meal."  
"Or three." I joked.  
Zane looked at me quizzically, cocking his head to the side just a bit.  
"It was a joke, Zane." I said.  
"Oh." Zane turned and rummaged through the fridge. He grabbed an armful of containers and jars and brought them to the counter.  
"Um, Zane. That's okay. You don't have to do all that. I can just eat a sandwich."  
Zane shook his head firmly. "You are going to get a good meal. A sandwich will not suffice for your needs. You have been deprived of sustenance too long already for your metabolism to function properly. A proper meal is imperative for you right now."  
I didn't even try to understand what he just said. I just nodded and walked over to where he stood. "Do you want help, then?"  
"Negative." He reached into a cupboard and grabbed a glass, which he quickly filled from the sink and pushed into my fingers. "Go sit in the dining room. I will be out in fifteen minutes."  
I didn't bother arguing. I did as I was told and sat in the dining room patiently, sipping at the glass of water slowly.  
Fifteen minutes later, on the dot, Zane appeared with a large plate in his hands.  
"Oh, Zane." I felt rather flustered. "You didn't have to-"  
"No, Nya." He set the plate in front of me. "I did have to. Please, just eat." He pressed the fork into my fingers and picked up my empty glass. He went back into the kitchen and returned a moment later with two more glasses. One was filled with a strange juice, and the other with iced water.  
"The juice is of my own making. It is a blend of several different ingredients, and will help settle your stomach." He set down the glasses next to the plate. "If you need anything else, please do not hesitate to ask. I shall be in the kitchen cleaning, and do not mind serving a bit longer."  
I was more flustered than ever. "Thank you, Zane. How sweet."  
The robot smiled warmly at me and ran his fingers through his platinum blond hair, pushing some stray strands back into place. "Anytime, sister." He said as he walked back into the kitchen.  
I looked at the heaping plate, amazed that he did all of it in a mere fifteen minutes. There was a potato salad with cold chicken, and warm, steamed vegetables situated next to a large buttered roll. I jabbed the fork into the creamy salad and took a bite, immediately grateful that he had scooped several servings onto the plate. It didn't seem possible for anything to taste so good. I shoveled the rest of the food into my mouth much faster than I should have, and upset my stomach. I took a sip of the dark, fruity mixture and gagged. It was good, but very surprising. It burned on the way down my throat like a liquor, but wasn't as dry. It almost immediately settled my stomach, just as Zane had said. I guzzled the rest of the glass quickly, then drained my water glass.  
I still didn't feel satisfied, but I was certain I had eaten enough for two people already, and that was enough for one small woman like me.  
I stacked the cups on top of the plate and carried them to the kitchen, where Zane had not been idle, apparently.  
The first thing I noticed was the stack of now clean dishes on the rack. Then I noticed the scent.  
"Mmhhh." I hummed. "What is that smell, Zane?"  
Zane looked up from the pot he stirring with his fingers on the counter. "Brownies. And this is beans. I am soaking them for lunch tomorrow."  
"But tomorrow is Cole's turn to cook."  
Zane gave me a sly look. "I know that, and you know that, but no one else needs to."  
I returned the look and nodded. "Agreed. Need any help now?"  
Zane walked over to me and took the dishes out of my hands. "Negative. Do you want seconds?"  
He didn't let me answer. The plate was refilled before I could form a protest and shoved back into my hands.  
I saw him refill my juice cup from a glass jar in the fridge. "What is that? Liquor?"  
Zane shook his head. "No, not liquor. But it's a secret. I don't want anyone to find the recipe and try to make it themselves. If done incorrectly, it could lead to disastrous consequences."  
My eyes widened in surprise. "Seriously?" I wondered if the cup in his hands was going to explode or something.  
Zane smiled. "No. It would just taste terrible." He pushed the door open with his foot and held it for me.  
I passed through and was surprised to see Cole was now sitting at the table with his notebook.  
I sat down across from him and Zane set down my plate. "Thank you so much, Zane." I smiled at him brightly.  
He opened his mouth to answer when he suddenly gasped. He set down my plate and ran into the kitchen.  
I looked at Cole for an explanation.  
He met my eyes and gave me a short smile and a shrug, plainly telling me he had no clue.  
I started poking at my food with my fork, eating away at the potato salad slowly.  
Zane suddenly appeared again with a plate of brownies.  
"My apologies, Nya." He began, setting the plate between me and Cole. "My timer went off."  
I took a brownie and bit into it. "Apology accepted." I shoved the rest of the treat into my mouth quickly.  
"Good!" Zane smiled and ran back into the kitchen.  
I looked at the door with a shake of my head. "That man needs a break. I don't care if he's a human or not. Nothing should be working as hard as he does." I took a long drink of water and looked at Cole's notebook. "What are you doing?"  
Cole shut the book before I had a chance to see what he wrote. He looked at me and smiled. "Nothing really," he reached for a brownie. "Mostly, I was just waiting for these." He took a bite and hummed. "They're almost as good as mine."  
I restrained myself from laughing. "Yep." I nodded sarcastically. "Nothing beats your brownies in flavor intensity."  
Cole beamed, thinking I had given him a compliment. "You really think so?" He grabbed another gooey treat and popped it into his mouth. "I noticed that no one ate them when I made my secret recipe a few days ago. Do you know why?"  
I had to tread carefully. I was in enemy territory, charming a dragon so it would let me pass unharmed. "I...I think they were a little burnt." More like the dragon had fast-baked them with direct flames, but I didn't say that aloud.  
Cole nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, thanks. I'll put about thirty minutes less on the timer next time. Think that would help?"  
I nearly choked on my water. That explained a lot, actually...  
I nodded, wiping a bit of spilt liquid from my chin. "Yeah. And if you want, I could help you out. You know, give you some pointers on how to enhance the recipe?"  
Perhaps it was possible that he just needed a woman to help him out in the kitchen. I sensed that a feminine figure had been missing most of his life, as he never did talk of his mother. Or it could be that he was misdirected in his calling, and was a lost cause trying to change the way he slowly poisoned us with his cooking.  
Cole's smile widened. "Sure. I would like that."  
I heard the door slide open behind me and Lloyd walked in. "Hey guys." He said, eyeing the plate situated between me and Cole. "How do you feel, Nya?" He sat down next to Cole and grabbed a brownie.  
I shrugged. "Better than yesterday, I guess. My head doesn't hurt as bad, but I still feel a little nauseous."  
Cole looked at Lloyd and smiled. "She was just giving me some brownie baking pointers. She says the batch I made last week was a little burnt."  
I laughed. "Just a bit." I stopped laughing suddenly and groaned, watching stars dance in my vision, as if they were celebrating my discomfort. I put my forehead in my right hand and rested my elbow on the table.  
Lloyd gave me a concerned look and opened his mouth to speak. He shut it quickly and gasped, looking at Cole. "Did you say she was talking about your brownies from a week ago?" He asked incredulously.  
Cole nodded slowly and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah..."  
Lloyd looked at the kitchen door. "Zane!" He shouted, making my head pulse at the intensity of his pitch.  
The Nindroid appeared a moment later with a mixing bowl in his hands. "Yes, Lloyd?" He rotated his wrist, stirring whatever was in the bowl.  
"Nya's memory has returned." Lloyd beamed.  
Zane nodded. "I know."  
I looked at him surprisedly. "Did Kai tell you?"  
Zane shook his head. "No. It was our conversation about the beans that gave it away." He chose his words carefully, as to not let Cole know that the conversation as directly tied to him and a certain dinner menu for tomorrow.  
Cole raised his other eyebrow. "Nya had a memory loss?"  
Zane nodded. "The drastic drop in her body temperature yesterday temporarily damaged her brain, causing her to be unable to remember events from the past month."  
"Interesting." Cole said, looking at me concernedly. "That must have been terribly hard, hearing about Jay twice."  
I nodded. "Yes. Let's move on to some other subject now please, before I throw up." I moved my other hand up and put it on the table, cupping my other cheek into my palm. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, letting it out as a long and loud sigh. I felt a warm tear make contact with the callouses on my fingertips. Another followed.  
The room went silent. The joy at hearing of my memory return was put out like a candle caught in a wave on the seashore. I bit my lip. Why had I been so mean to them? Ever since Jay died, I had been on edge. Getting upset over spilt syrup. Making other people do everything for me.  
I was the dragon. The huge, terrible beast who lashed at anyone who got too close. But my friends seemed rather unafraid of my flame throwing and tail lashing, and saw that I was, in reality, a broken, wounded, and pitiful creature in need of care and love. Not like I deserved it.  
I felt a cold hand on my forehead. Zane most likely, checking my temperature. I refrained from pushing his hand away and shouting at him, which was my first impulse. I took a deep breath and let it out shakily, holding back a sob.  
Zane's hand left my forehead after a few seconds, and he sat down next to me. "A moment alone, please." He said, apparently to the two men sitting across from us, because they immediately got up and left without a word.  
I kept my head in my hands, silent tears still falling freely from my shut eyes.  
I heard Zane take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm not going to lie to you, Nya." He said quietly, in his soft spoken tone. "Losing a person you held dear to your heart hurts. Indeed, it is the worst pain a person will ever encounter in their lifetime."  
I agreed with him wholeheartedly.  
"The trick is not learning how to get rid of the wound entirely, but how to tend it."  
He lost me there. Tending it does make the wound go away.  
Zane's voice started trembling a bit. "There will always be scarring. You will never be the same person you were before the loss. This in an inevitable, unchangeable fact of life." He paused. "Not that I know much about life. I am a droid. An artificial being. I envy you living things. When a person you love dies, you have a hope. A hope that you will see them again on the other side." I heard him sniff. "I have no hope, you see. No matter how much I may look or act like you, I am, in the end, lifeless and soulless. I will live artificially forever. I will make one friend after the other for thousands of years, watching each of them die, with no hope. Even if I did die somewhere along the path I take, I will go nowhere. I will stay on the side of that path forever, forgotten and alone. Once you are gone, Nya, you are gone to me for eternity. You will leave the path forever, and I shall never see you again." He had a longer pause. A louder sniff. "But you, Nya. You have a hope. You will see Jay again. You will see everyone you know again in the end of it all. You have a hope."  
I opened my eyes in the dark cup of my hands and blinked away the tears. I rubbed my eyes and sat up straight, surprised to see that Zane was crying as he looked at me. Tears ran down his long, narrow cheeks and onto his white kimono.  
I swallowed back another sob. "No, I won't see everyone I know. Most certainly not everyone I dearly care about and love." I couldn't hold it in anymore. I began to sob, a horrible hiccuping sob that left me unable to form a coherent sentence. "I-in the life after this...I won't have you, brother." I said quietly, still trying unsuccessfully to stop the overflowing dam of emotions.  
Zane seemed taken aback by this. He scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. "This speech did not go as I had originally planned." He said softly. "I was trying to encourage you, Nya. Not create a drama about my problems."  
I smiled through the tears. "No. You did help me. Thank you." I leaned over and embraced him warmly.  
He didn't seem to know where to go with this strange turn of events. He held his arms slightly extended from his sides for just a moment before embracing me back with equal warmth. "No," he sniffed. "Thank you."

* * *

**Epilogue**

It has been six years since that day in the dining room, when we poured out our hearts to each other.  
I write this out from my desk in our bedroom, because the Bounty has been, unfortunately, destroyed. But that is a story for another day.  
Zane helped me out with a lot of the story, even writing parts himself. He seemed rather embarrassed by what he wrote from his point of view at first, but I told him it didn't matter, since we've been married four years now anyway.  
Oh, yes. I'm missing many details from our journey to where we are today, but again, those are stories for another day. I'm sure Zane would love to help me out with those adventuress later.  
Anyways, back to epilogue-ing.  
I've realized through writing all this down how much of a fool I had been, agreeing to marry Jay. Yes, I still love that dear man of my past, but it's more of a brotherly love now. Looking back on our relationship, no longer blinded by what I thought was love, I've realized how Jay really was: unpredictable, irrational, and immature. I describe him that way endearingly, of course. Those three things were what made Jay so much fun.  
But it would have been, quite honestly, an unhappy marriage.  
Zane is none of those things. He is the yang to my yin. We fit together like a intricate puzzle. His cool, even steadiness to my hotheaded, fast-paced and-  
Oh, thanks for that, Zane.  
-He says I'm all of what I described Jay as.  
It's been an interesting marriage, to say the least, but very fulfilling and joyous. We have two kids now, a boy and a girl. We adopted them a few years ago. The pride and joy of our lives. Zane has never looked happier since we took them home that first night as infants, and we haven't gotten more that eight hours of sleep since.  
But it was very worth it. Uncle Kai loves them to death, and spoils the with gifts way too often. But what can I do, really?  
Zane is standing right here helping me word this, because I have had problems throughout the story with finding the right words for what I wanted to say. I honestly had no clue what the word 'incredulously' meant. Zane just said that it fit, so I trusted his judgement. He's usually right, anyway.  
Oh, now he's laughing over my shoulder. He says I should say that more often. Excuse me please, I need to shut him up with a kiss.

* * *

_**I am so glad I have this finished. You would not believe how many how many hours went into this one story.**_

_**Please review! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what you thought was humorous, what you thought was sad. It gives me ideas for the future. **_

_**I am thinking of doing a sequel to this one, tell me if you would like that.**_


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